The present invention relates to a rolling bearing, by which is meant either a roller type bearing or a ball type bearing, and particularly relates to a rolling bearing in which balls or rollers thereof are provided between an inner race member and an outer race member thereof, and are spaced apart by means of rolling retainer members which are shaped as rollers.
In the prior art, there have been proposed various types of rolling bearing. Typically such a bearing has included an inner race member and an outer race member, and between these race members there have been fitted a number of rolling members, either balls or rollers. In order to keep these rolling members in good order and properly positioned, and so as to eliminate direct contact occurring between adjacent ones of said rolling members which could lead to unacceptably high frictional forces and heat and wear being generated, it has been conventional to provide a cage member fitted over said rolling members, portions of which are interposed between said rolling members.
Such a conventional cage member is effective for the above explained purpose, and is quite capable of retaining the rolling members at their prescribed relative positions, typically as equidistantly spaced around the circumferential direction of the annular space defined between said inner race member and said outer race member, but inevitably rubbing friction is generated between the rolling members where they touch such a cage member, and, if the cage member is able to come into contact with the inner race member or the outer race member, rubbing friction will be generated at this point also as the cage member is carried aroud the bearing as will inevitably happen. These rubbing or sliding frictional resistances increase the torque load which such a conventional rolling bearing improves upon a means rotating the shaft which said rolling bearing is supporting, and in particular in the high rotational speed operational range a considerable amount of heat can be generated by such rubbing or sliding friction, which not only causes loss of power, but also can excessively wear the contacting surfaces of the parts of the rolling bearing. In the worst case, if destruction of lubricant films which separate parts of the rolling bearing occurs, the durability of the bearing can be severely adversely affected.